20 wickets fall on day 1 as Baroda lead by 101 runs in Ranji Trophy

Vadodara: A staggering 20 wickets fell on the first day of the Group B Ranji Trophy match between Baroda and Madhya Pradesh here today, with the 2000-01 season winners having already started their second innings by close of play.

Batting first, the hosts could manage a meagre 152 in their first innings, but fought back strongly to bundle Madhya Pradesh out for 60.

Baroda were nine for no loss in their second innings, thereby extending their lead to 101 runs with all the wickets intact and three full days to go.

On a day when the bowlers, led by MP`s Jalaj Saxena`s 6/42, called the shots, Abhimany Chauhan stood out with a dogged 58 off 141 balls. Chauhan was an aberration as he found the fence 10 times.

Even as none of the Madhya Pradesh batsmen could reach the 20s, Ketul Patel (4/9) and out-of-favour India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan (4/17) were among the wickets for Baroda.